


Time Not Wasted

by sweetiepie08



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Slice of Life, drinking involved, just friends hanging out and having fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25680406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetiepie08/pseuds/sweetiepie08
Summary: Rian, Mira, and Gurjin get a night off of guard duty and decide to spend it at a nearby tavern. As they drink and celebrate their night of freedom, they laugh, make mischief, and create memories that will warm their hearts for years to come. Time is never wasted when it is spent  with the ones you love.
Relationships: Mira/Rian (Dark Crystal)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24





	1. The Castle Shadow Tavern

The Tavern was as alive as ever that night. Gurjin and Rian had made the trek out here many times before, but tonight was special. Mira’s rotation schedule finally matched up with his and Gurjin’s in a way that allowed them to head out to the Castle Shadow Tavern for the night and make it back for their next patrol. The tavern was built within an hour’s walk from the Castle of the Crystal. Rian imagined it was built by some enterprising gelfling who realized the guard would need something to do on their time off other than polishing boots or running drills. It also fell along a well-worn travel road, which made for a good mix of regulars and new-comers.

On this particular night, Rian sat in a booth with Gurjin and Mira. The sounds of chatter and revelry echoed around them. Above it all, Gurjin’s voice rang out, regaling them with his Captain Ordon impression.

“And that, recruits,” he boomed, keeping his back straight as a steel rod and his face stiff as a board, “is why if you don’t polish your boots until you can see your reflection in them, you have failed both as a guard and as a gelfling, and your ancestors will weep in shame.” A mischievous twinkle entered his eye. “Unless you’re Gurjin, of course, in which case, you can do no wrong.”

“Of course…” Rian sighed, hiding an amused smirk in his cup of ale.

“Is all that understood, Mira?” Gurjin went on.

“Yes, Captain,” she answered with mock severity. “The state of my boots will make my ancestors proud.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Rian said, rolling his eyes. “He’ll keep this up all night, and he has.”

“Silence, Rian,” Gurjin commanded, keeping in character. “Don’t disparage your fellow guard. You should be more like Gurjin. He’s loyal, brave, hard-working, handsome…”

Rian let out a burst of laughter. “Stop complimenting yourself in the third-person!”

“Yes, you’ve broken the illusion,” Mira added. “Our captain would never give that much praise. Up until that, though, I thought it was spot on.”

“You thought it was good?” Gurjin asked, sitting down and reverting back to his own voice.

“I did.”

Rian shook his head. “Trust me, it gets old after hearing it five or six hundred times.”

As if accepting a challenge, Gurjin snapped right back into his stiff, upright posture. “Rian, as your father, I must tell you that you need to lighten up a little.”

“Okay, now I know that’s not the captain,” Mira said.

“Sure, I may be stiffer that the Emperor’s beak and believe any smile lasting longer than a third of a second is a sure sign of deception…”

Rian let his gaze linger on a spot just over Gurjin’s shoulder. “Oh, hello father.”

Gurjin practically jumped as he looked behind him. When he saw nothing there, he turned back to his friends with a wry smile. “Ha, ha, very funny…”

Rian flashed him a smirk. “How’s that for lightening up?” he said, taking a drink.

Gurjin made a non-committal sound and conceded defeat by taking a swing from his stein. His eyes shifted to the tavern’s bar, in search of some new amusement. His face broke into a grin when something caught his eye. “Hey, look at those two Spritons over there.

Rian followed his gaze. He saw two Spritons, a male and a female, accepting their drinks from the bar keep. Travelers from Sammi Thicket, he guessed. Both had shiny black hair and were laughing at something one of them had said.

“Got your eye on one of them?” Mira asked.

“Maybe…”

“Which one?”

“Either? Both?” Gurjin shrugged. “What ever their preference is. I’m flexible.”

“Both?” Mira gasped in disbelief. “At the same time?”

Gujin put on a cocky grin. “It’s happened before.”

“Not to you, though,” Rian added. He and Gurjin shot each other the kind of mocking looks only long-time friends can share. 

“Hey, you may have a steady catch, but some of us are still on the hunt,” Gurjin shot back.

“Any gelfling would be lucky to have you,” Mira said warmly.

Rian clapped him on the back. “And half of them don’t deserve you.”

“Thanks, but you don’t have to puff me up. I know my worth.” He finished the last of his beer and got up from the table. “Well, I’m going to go try my luck.” With that, he sauntered off to chat up the Spritons.

“Alone at last,” Rian sighed, turning his smile over to Mira.

“You really think he’s going to go for both?” she asked, watching Gurjin approach the Spritons.

“Might have just been bravado, but he’s open to anything, really.” He looked over at Gurjin. Something he said caused the Spritons to burst into a fit of laughter. “As long as he’s happy, I’m rooting for him.”

She looked back at him. Her pale blue eyes were soft and inviting “Have you and Gurjin been friends a long time?”

“We went though training together,” he explained. “We were sparring partners for our first combat exercises. He knocked me down flat quite a few times, but I learned to be quicker and more agile. WE’d taunt each other throughout the session, but it was all in jest. We started bonding outside of training and we’ve been like brothers ever since.”

“I can tell.” She scooted in closer to him. “Must have been nice, being so close to someone here.”

Rian moved in closer as well. “Surely you had friends in the Har’ar guard.”

“I did and I still write them sometimes, but if I had a friendship like yours and Gurjin’s, I might not have transferred.”

“Well,” he said, reaching for her hand, “who says you can’t have that here?”

“You certainly made me feel welcome,” she teased, running her thumb along his knuckles, “what with your, observatory tour and all.”

“Not much of a tour when you beat me up there.”

“Neither was that sparring match,” she said with an impish twinkle in her eye.

“That’s not fair,” he argued in mock-offense. “I was distracted by how beautiful my partner was.”

“What makes you think I wasn’t distracted?” she purred back.

They leaned in closer, seeking to close the gap between them. Rian shut his eyes, waiting for her kiss, but Gurjin’s voice interrupted them.

“Hey Rian, come play darts with me.”

Rian opened his eyes and cast an irritated glance in his friend’s direction. “What happened to the Spritons?”

“Turns out they’re childhood friends who just started going together and I wasn’t about the get in the middle of a love story like that,” he explained. “Come on, just one game. Loser buys the next round.”

“Alright,” Rian said, getting up from the table and following Gurjin to the dart board. “I guess you know my taste in beer well enough.”

“I know liquid gold wouldn’t be enough to satisfy your pretentious tongue,” Gurjin playfully shot back, “not that I’m going to need that knowledge though.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Rian smiled at Mira who watched from their table. “I’ve got someone special cheering me on.”

“I know.” Gurjin handed Rian his darts. “And I doubt you’ll be able to see straight, making those googly eyes.”

Rian and Gurjin took turns tossing darts and exchanging playful insults. Rian kept glancing over at Mira between shots. She looked at him with a sly smirk on her lips. She was always concocting some mischief, he could tell. There was always something up her sleeve, though never anything malicious. Whatever it was, it would surely give them a laugh. He could hardly wait to find out what she was thinking.

By game’s end, Gurjin proved to be the victor. “Ha! Take that you cross-eyed bean pole,” he jeered when his dart hit the bullseye.

“You won by one point,” Rian argued.

“And that was enough to beat you,” Gurjin countered. He pointed Rian in the direction of the bar. “Go on, drink slave.”

“Fine, anything specific?”

“Surprise me,” he said, flashing a mocking grin. “You know my taste in beer well enough.”

“As you wish,” Rian sighed. Gurjin headed back over to the table while Rian went to the bar.

“I think I’ll grab another drink too,” Mira said, getting up. She joined Rian at the bar. He leaned against the counter and waited for the bar keep to take his order. “So,” she said, sliding in next to him, “what are you thinking?”

“I’ll just get him an elm brew,” he said. “That’s one of his favorites.”

“Or you could get him the opposite of his favorite,” she suggested, a wicked smile on her lips.

The tantalizing mischief in her voice tugged at his ears. “What are you saying?”

“The bet was, you buy him a drink,” she explained. “He never said it had to be a drink he liked.”

His wicked smile matched hers as he considered the tempting idea. The look he imagined on Gurjin’s face was entertaining. Ultimately, he decided against it, though. “Nah, that wouldn’t be sporting. I’ll just-”

“You’re taking your sweet time over there!” Gurjin called from across the room.

“What?” Rian snapped, looking back at him.

“I said you’re taking your sweet time over there!” Gurjin called again.

“Hush!” Rian shouted back. He turned back to Mira, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. “You know, I started out with the best intentions.”

“You did…” she said, sly smile growing.

“But he had to go flapping his lips.”

“Yup.” She nodded. “He could stand to learn some patience.”

Rian winked at Mira and flagged down the bar keep. “Excuse me, miss,” he said once he had her attention. “What’s the weirdest drink you can make? Like, something you’d have to be out of your mind to order?”

A few minutes later, Rian put a stein full of a greenish-brown liquid down in front of Gurjin. “Uh, what’s this?” Gurjin asked, inspecting the drink from a safe distance.

“You did tell me to surprise you,” Rian said, a rascally gleam in his eye.

“It looks like you dipped the stein in the castle sewers.”

“I can, in fact, verify that Rian got that drink from the bar keep,” Mira added as if she were giving a patrol report.

“Ah, so she’s the one who dipped it in the sewer.”

Mira laughed. “She called it fizzgig dung.”

“How appealing…” Gurjin looked down at the cup as if the name was literal.

“Drink up, pal.” Rian clapped a hand down on Gurjin’s shoulder. “That’s all for you.”

“Alright.” He pulled a face like he was about to single-handedly conduct the deterge. “Here goes nothing.” He lifted the stein and tapped it against his friends’ cups.

“Vliya!” Mira cheered.

“Eh, vliya yourself,” Gurjin grumbled in return.

Rian chuckled. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Eh, shut up.” Gurjin put the drink to his lips and, never one to do anything by halves, swallowed a large gulp. He slammed the stein back down as he gagged and coughed. “Ugh that is rancid,” he said, tears forming in his eyes. He sunk down and put his head on the table. “Someone fetch my mother. I want to go home.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Rian said.

“It can.” Gurjin’s head snapped up. “Why in Thra would you do that to me?”

“I was going to get you an elm,” Rian explained, “but you had to start yapping like a fizzgig. Thought you could use a lesson in patience.”

“Lesson learned.” Gurjiin slid the stein over to Rian. “You try it.”

Rian slid it back. “Why would I want to try it?”

“’This is terrible, you try’”, Mira laughed. “What a compelling argument!”

Rian looked down at the half-empty cup, curiosity seeping into his brain. “I mean… you know what? Okay.”

Mira looked aghast. “You can’t be serious!”

“Well…” Rian shrugged and offered her a half-hearted smile. He really had no explanation other than the solidarity of sharing a disgusting experience with a friend.

As he lifted the drink to his lips, Gurjin shot him a wicked smirk. “Hey Rian,” he said, “Vliya!”

“Yeah, right, Vliya.” Rian drank and felt a burning sensation down his throat. The taste was indescribable. “Ugh, I just drank Arathim poison!” he shouted, slamming the stein down.

Gurjin roared with laughter. “Not so funny now, is it?”

Rian took a sip of his beer, begging for it to wash out the aftertaste. “The name warns you about the taste, but not the burning.”

“No it does not, but hey!” Gurjin slapped Rian on the back. “Think of it as practice for the day you and I try Grotton glow spirit.”

“Uh-huh,” Rian grimaced. “And that’ll be the day I die.”

Gurjin nodded and took a drink from Rian’s beer. “Yup, just dig a grave behind me so I can fall backward into it.”

“Oh, I know about glow spirit,” Mira put in.

“You’ve had it?” Gurjin asked. He looked almost impressed.

“No, but I’ve heard rumors.”

“So have I. Apparently it’s ten times stronger than Uncle Norlan’s secret recipe.”

“Who’s Uncle Norlan?” Mira asked.

“My Uncle Norlan,” said Gurjin.

“Drenchen moonshine,” Rian explained. “I’ve had his uncle’s secret recipe. If glow spirit’s any stronger, it’ll melt the spires off the Castle of the Crystal.”

Mira grinned. “Well, in that case, we have to try it.”

“Yes, but until then, what do you say we wash the taste out of our mouths with a song.” Gurjin grabbed a pair of spoons and set them down in front of Rian.

“Oh, we’ve reached that point in the night, have we?” Rian said, picking up the spoons. He pinched them between his fingers, ready to play.

“I didn’t know you could play spoons,” Mira said, smiling at him.

“I had to learn.” Rian smiled back. “Gurjin’s inner-bard comes out after a few drinks and he demands accompaniment.”

“What am I, if not a crowd pleaser?” Gurjin smirked. “Go on, start.”

Rian adjusted his spoons and got his knee into position. “You start, I’ll follow.”

“Very well.” Gurjin stood up, took another gulp of Rian’s beer, and launched into a classic Drenchen folk song. Rian did his best to keep the beat. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mira beaming at him.

“What other secret talents have you been hiding from me?” she purred.

His heart pounded and his face flushed. He missed a few beats, but Gurjin didn’t seem to notice. He played on as he lost himself in Mira’s beautiful eyes. This night, he decided, was a complete success. And he was sure, someday, when he was old and gray, he’d look back on this night and the memory would warm his heart like a cozy fire in a lively tavern.


	2. New Friends

Rian looked around the table. Friends from all seven clans filled the seats. All were in Ha’rar for a summit to report on the rebuilding efforts after the skeksis were dislodged and defeated. But it wasn't all business. Rarely were they all together like this. It was time for some fun. “Alright,” Gurjin, the self-appointed master of ceremonies, spoke up, “Everybody ready to drink their way around Thra?”

“Everyone took out their flagons and bottles. Rian brought one of his favorite Stonewood brews and he was excited to share it with the rest of them. He looked around the table and wondered which drink would be the best to try. The plan was to taste the drink from each of the seven clans. They had Stonewood ale, Sifa rum, Vapran liquor, Drenchen moonshine, Spriton wine, Podling lager, Dousan wellspring water (the only nonalcoholic drink of the bunch) and, most dread of all, Grotton glow spirit.

“So here's how it's going to go,” Gurjin began once everyone had their drinks on the table. “I've got the symbols of each seven clans…”

“And podling,” Hup chimed in.

“Yes and podling,” Gurjin went on, “in this bowl.” He presented a wooden bowl with several folded slips of paper in it. “I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. Whatever I pull out, that's what we'll try. Shall we begin?”

A cheer rose from the table and Gurjin picked the first paper out of the bowl. He unfolded it, looked at it, then fold it up and put it back.

“Hey, hold on, hold on,” Naia protested. “Who was that?”

“I was Dousan, but we can't start with the wellspring water, alright?” Gurjin explained. “Deet’s got glow spirit. We’ll die. Okay, picking again.”

Gurjin reached back into the bowl and plucked out a slip of paper. “Stonewood,” he announced. “Okay, we're easing into it. What have you got Rian?”

“Alright, everyone pass your cups,” Rian said, producing a small wooden keg. He opened the spout on the bottom, filled his friends’ cups, and passed them back. “Stonewoods have brewing recipes by the thousands. Everyone's got different tastes and you can easily start a pub brawl by insisting one brew is the definitive best. Harvest Gold is generally agreed to be among the top tier of brews.”

“This Rian’s favorite?” Hup asked, accepting his pint.

“I like it alright but…”

“Oh here it comes,” Gurjin cut in.

“What?” Rian snapped, turning to his friend.

Gurjin rolled his eyes. “Here comes the lecture about what makes a good beer and why everyone else’s opinion is wrong.”

“Are you drunk already?” Rian retorted with a smirk. “When have I ever said everyone else’s opinions are wrong?”

“How many times have we argued over beer?”

  
“That doesn't mean I think everyone else’s opinions are wrong,” Rian shot back. “I might think your opinions are wrong.”

“Sours,” Gurjin said as if that settled things.

“Oh now you're bringing up sours?”

“I got you to renounce your opinion about sours, remember?”

“No, I renounced my opinion on people who drink sours.”

“What's wrong with sours?” Kylan asked.

“Aye, I like sours,” Onica added.

“They're just…” Rian sighed, “so bad…” He let out a long, disgruntled breath. “But you're allowed to like them.” He laughed wearily. “So anyway, I prefer a stout. That’s what I was about to say. I like the dark brews. As far as pale wheat beer goes, this one is one of the best.”

“Alright, enough talk,” Gurjin interrupted. “Let's drink. Vliya!”

“Vliya!” they answered back and they tipped back their tankards.

“Very refreshing,” Kylan said, taking another taste of his.

“Thank you.”

“Alright,” Gurjin drained his and slammed it back down on the table. “Tastes like beer. Moving on.”

“Hey, hey, wait a minute!” Rian protested.

“What? The stone Woods export their beer to almost every clan. We've all tried it before.”

“I thought it was good,” Deet put in with her sweet voice.

“Of course your mate's going to say that,” Gurjin answered. “Deet may as well be drinking water.”

“What does he mean by that?” Rek’yr asked.

Deet shyly played with a lock of her hair. “Grottons tend to be less sensitive to strong drinks than most gelfling.”

“Famous Grotton alcohol tolerance,” Grujin added. “You'll see it at work later tonight. Speaking of which, let's move on with the show. Who’s next?”

They moved on to trying Sifa spiced rum, Vapran mountain mist, and podling ale. Naturally, Gurjin felt the need to tease Rian about his beer snobbery. “Well, I hope you’ve got liquid gold in that keg,” Gurjn had said. “Otherwise, you're not likely to impress him.”

Rian managed to surprise them by complementing the podling beer which he had to admit was very smooth. And Hup’s face lit up like a firework when he did.

As the night wore on, everyone grew tipsy and their different reactions started to show. Rian was starting to feel light and loose. Brea and Seladon became surprisingly giggly. Onica and Naia somehow decided they were best friends, despite having only met a handful of times before. Kylan stumbled through a bizarre retelling of an old gelfling legend while Hup drowsily mumbled back in podling. Rek’yr, unused to drinking in excess, possibly had the worst reaction. He leaned on the table, propping his head up with the hand, and closed his eyes. He also seemed to deeply regret his decision to sit next to Deet, who only became more talkative and she, apparently, decided it was time for jokes.

“So anyway,” she said, taking a long sip from her glass of Spriton BlackBerry wine, “so he knocks on the lady’s door and says, ‘I'm sorry. I've accidentally let out all your rock sprites and they flown away. I'd like to replace them.’ And the lady says, ‘I don't know if that would work. How are you at fertilizing glow moss?’”

“I'm sorry, I'm confused,” Rek’yr said, slowly cracking his eyes open. “Did this happen to friends of yours?”

“This didn't happen to anyone. It was a joke.”

Rek’yr nodded and closed his eyes again, though it was questionable whether or not he comprehended what she just said.

“Delicious as usual,” Gurjin said, finishing his glass of wine. “Everyone ready to move on?”

“I am,” Deet said cheerfully, passing back her empty glass.

Rek’yr just gave a slow, resigned nod.

Gurjin reached into the bowl and announced, “Dousan wellspring water.”

“Oh blessed Thra,” Rek’yr muttered.

Gurjin poured a glass for everyone pass them. “Rek’yr, if your still able to speak in complete sentences, please tell us about Wellspring water.”

“The water comes from the Wellspring Oasis in the crystal desert,” he explained. “It's a sort of home base for my clan. The water is said to have restorative properties.”

“Oh, perfect because the two hardest drinks are saved for last,” Gurjin said.

This seemed to dampen Rek’yr’s mood some, but they all took their glasses of Wellspring water. It was shockingly cool and refreshing. The best comparison Rian could come up with was catching fresh snowflakes on his tongue in the winter as a childling. Amazing that water from the desert oasis could bring snow to mind. And the restorative properties seemed to be at work as well. He could always feel his head becoming clearer.

It was a good thing too. Gurjin was right that they would need that break, because the next slip pulled from the bowl was Drenchen. That meant moonshine.

Grujin and Naia wore matching grins as they took out the clear glass jug filled with possibly even clearer with liquid.

“I don't like that I can see straight through it,” Seledon remarked, regarding the jug with some suspicion.

“Gurjin…” Rian said in a warning tone, “don't do to them what you did to me.”

Gurjin slapped a hand on his chest in feigned offense. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Rian threw him as stern a look as he could muster. “Tell them.”

“Fine…” Gurjin sighed. “Okay everyone, the secret to moonshine is tiny sips.” He passed out glasses which barely had anything in them. Having tasted this particular moonshine before, Rian thought that was for the best.

When they all took a drink, Rian was rather proud to be one of the few who wasn't coughing. In fact, it made him nostalgic for his training days when he and Gurjin would sneak a drink late at night.

He heard Deet chatting and looked over to find her talking Rek’yr’s ear off with her full drink still in her hand.

“I learned the names of all seventy-two types of glow moss when I was a childling. Moss husbandry is actually a hobby of Papa Mitjan’s. Anyway…”

“Deet,” Gurjin interrupted, “try your drink.”

“Oh right.” She tipped the glass back, emptying it into her mouth, and went back to her story. “What was I saying? Oh yes, when I was in school, I did a project on the different levels of luminescence in each type and I found…”

“Deet!” Gurjin interrupted again.

“Yes?” she asked, turning innocently to the table who stared back at her in shock.

“You're supposed to sip that.”

“Was I?” she said as she looked down at her empty glass. “I'm sorry. It was lovely anyway. Here, pour me another one so I can get a better taste.” She passed her glass back to Gurjin and continued. “Where was I? Oh, anyway there's a type called Moonlight Moss which makes your wings glow bright white and that's what the name moonshine reminds me of.” She finished her story with a pleasant smile.

Rek’yr looked at her like she was a witch. “I'm sorry do you really not feel anything.”

“Now that you mention it, that did tingle my nose a bit.”

“A little tingle?” Seladon said, aghast. “That's it? Has science looked into you?”

“They have actually,” Brea interjected, “and it's theorized the veins of crystal energy in the cave have given Grottons certain advanced abilities, such as sensitive eyes and ears, increased durability and pain tolerance, and, as demonstrated tonight, a certain degree of immunity to poisons.”

“Look at her,” Onica grumbled, “Still bright as a guiding star. She’s putting us all to shame.”

“Guys,” Rian laughed, “I guarantee you, later tonight, she's going to be up in bed reading or something, sober as a stone, and I'm going to be hunched over a bucket, crying.”

“Well then,” Gurjin said, taking up the bowl again. “Let's waste no more time.” He took out the last slip and revealed the Grotton sigil. “Time for glow spirit.”

There was a collective groan around the table, save for Deet, who smiled at the mention of her favorite drink, and Gurjin, who grinned gleefully.

“I've never seen anyone so excited to face their own death,” Rian quipped.

“If I go out having fun with my friends, how can I ask for a better death?”

“How about one in your own bed?” Rian suggested. “After living to old age?”

Gurjin shrugged. “Overrated. So Deet,” he clapped his hands together. “Show us the good stuff.”

“I hope I brought enough.” She took out two clear bottles filled with a glowing blue liquid. “This is glow spirit.”

“What gives it that glow?” Kylan asked, staring at the bottles like they were filled with magic potions.

Rek’yr looked at them like they were filled with actual poison.

“It's made from herbs and flowers in the same family as glow moss, which gives it this color. To Grottons, it has a subtly sweet taste with a bit of a bite to it. To others, I hear it's… quite strong.”

“I thought it tasted like arathim poison.” Rain added, staring down the bottles.

“No, if it were arathim poison, Deet would say ‘finally, a strong drink,’” Gruijn laughed. “Wait, you tried it without me?”

“Papa Mitjan’s birthday day,” Deet explained. “It didn't go down easy.”

“I'm insulted,” Gurjin huffed. “We were supposed to try glow spirit together.”

“It was their birthday tradition,” Rian argued. “I didn't want to be rude.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had a pact,” Deet said. “I can invite you to Papa Lath’N’s birthday, if you like.”

Grujin shrugged it off. “Hardly matters now. We're about to try it anyway. But don't think I won't take you up on that offer.”

“Any tips for surviving this?” Brea asked.

“I'm not sure.” Deet tapped her cheek thoughtfully. “We don't really think about it too much. I suppose just try to ease into it.”

“Just don't let it linger in your mouth,” Rian added.

“Alright, final drink,” Gurjin announced. “Everybody ready?”

He was met with an uncertain cheer.

“Eh, sure you are,” he dismissed. “Three, two, one, vlyia!”

“Vlyia!”

They tipped the glasses back and almost instantly began to gag. Hup spit his directly back into his glass. Onica managed to swallow it, but her face scratched up like a raison. Naia swore loudly and wiped her mouth. Brea got caught up in a coughing fit while Seladon dove straight for her water. Kylan just quietly put his head on the table. Gurjin made a valiant effort to act like he was in much less pain than he actually was. Rek’yr battled with his impulse to be polite before muttering “poison” and burying his head in his hands. Rian, having learned from last time, had his water glass in his other hand, ready to chase the burning away.

Amongst the chaos, Deet contently sipped from her glass. “This is actually quite a good batch,” she mused, taking another sip.

“Oh, is it?” Gurjin squeaked. finally reaching for his water.

“Yes, the herbs are complementing each other nicely. It has a smooth finish…”

“Smooth?” Naia coughed. “Did she just say smooth?”

“I did say it tastes different for Grottons,” Deet said, taking another pleasant sip.

“And what a difference it must be,” Kylan said in awe. “I've never tasted anything like that.”

“You know what?” Gurjin said with a cocky grin. “My favorite of the night.”

“Would you shut up?” Naia groaned.

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll push you off the chair.”

“Bet you can't.”

After a short scuffle, Gurjin ended up flat on the floor. “Ha! Told you I'd do it!” Naia boasted.

This elicited raucous laughter from the table. Gurjin popped up, no worse for wear. He reached across the table and grabbed a pair of spoons. “Rian, I hope you're not too drunk to play.”

“Oh, this is later than I expected,” he answered, taking the spoons.

“My inner Bard has waited long enough.” Gurjin winked and launched into an old gelfling folk song. Then Kylan joined in, then Hup, then the rest.

As Rian played, he looked around at their smiling faces, grateful to just have them all there, safe and happy. After going through so much hardship together, it still felt miraculous just to have a fun night with his friends.


End file.
